Dark and Light
by Dolphingirl32173
Summary: Damon's life was draped in shadows and darkness before he met Elena. Now he's caught between dark and light and she's his only chance at redemption from his past. FULL SUMMARY INSIDE! Damon's view of Rocks and Hard Places. Damon/Elena, side plate of Jeremy


Dark and Light  
DG32173

Sarah: here's the sister-fic of _Rocks and Hard Places._ This is Damon's view. I hope you enjoy.

_**DISCLAIMER**_  
I only own what I write and I don't make money for writing it. This is the only disclaimer for the whole fanfic. I _do_ own the enchanted set of jewelry Damon gives Elena. Ask before using it and _wait_ until I give you permission before posting something with it.

_**WARNINGS**_  
ALTERNATE UNIVERSE! Alters from storyline early in Season 2. Rated M for my sanity, not that I have any. Damon's viewpoint.

_**SUMMARY**_  
Damon's life was draped in shadows and darkness before he met Elena. Now he's caught between dark and light and she's his only chance at redemption from his past. When she chooses _him_ over Stefan, Damon finds himself wondering when the other shoe will drop. He doesn't deserve such joy, or so he thinks. But he begins the hardest fight of his life: the fight to become truly deserving of the angel who gave her heart to him. Sister-fic to _Rocks and Hard Places._ _**Damon/Elena**_

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Chapter 1  
The Journey Starts

I look up at Elena's window as I debate whether I should check on her or not. That fight with Stefan was their biggest fight to date. She's sure to be hurting from all the nasty things he said to her and maybe even regretting some of the things she said to him, though she spoke honestly for a change. I hear her groan and decide to leap up through the window after checking for potential witnesses. As I land silently on the floor of her room, I notice her body relax as it has _always_ done when I appear in her vicinity. She even relaxed just slightly in my presence when I first got to town and even when she was terrified of me. "What do you want, Damon?" she asks without opening her eyes.

"Just came to see how you're holding up," I reply smoothly, taking a seat on her bed next to her.

"How do you _think_ I'm doing? My _boyfriend_ just decided _again_ that it is too dangerous for him to be with me just because his ex made some threats against me," she growls.

I grimace as the scene that happened in the boarding house living room flashes before my eyes. "Her fangs _did_ get a little too close to your throat for comfort today," I remind her.

She opens her eyes, props herself in a sitting position, and gives me one of her patented 'looks'. "Damon, apparently you're just as blind as your brother. She was bluffing," she tells me. "She _knew_ what you two would do if she vamped out while holding me like that. I could see it in her eyes. She and I look _exactly_ alike. I know her expressions as well as I know my own. I could see that she was toying with us just to get her way. The problem with Katherine is she's a spoiled brat and too damned used to getting her way whatever way she has to. I am quite willing to slap her off that damned pedestal she put herself on."

I wince at that threat. "You could get killed doing something like that," I point out.

"You didn't kill me when I knocked you off _your_ pedestal," she points out in return. I wince again. "One day, an older and stronger vampire is going to get annoyed with her pretenses and knock her around a bit to teach her a lesson. And I'm going to laugh my ass off when that happens. Damon, if she wanted me dead, I'd _be_ dead. You told me yourself that not even _you_ would be able to stop her because the older a vampire is, the more powerful they are. You said she has four centuries on you, so that makes her pretty damn powerful. Isobel was _sent_ to you when she wanted to become a vampire. Only one name comes to mind that could have known where you were and sent her in your direction," she tells me. I feel my eyes widen in surprise as I immediately realize _exactly_ who she's talking about. "I'm descended from Katherine, I just know I am. Which means Isobel was _also_ descended from her. Katherine seems to have this 'thing' about family. If she was _really_ going to rip my throat out today, I'd be dead right now. She _let_ you pull me from her grasp. You said it yourself: she loves playing games. This whole thing is one big game and the three of us are just pawns to her. I am not going to play the part of a pawn any longer. She's had plenty of opportunity to come in this house and kill everyone here. She was _invited in._ But she hasn't once been back since the night she cut John's fingers off. My bet is that he pissed her off when he tried to kill you and Stefan and succeeded in killing Anna. She's possessive. She doesn't like people messing with what she considers to belong to her. And I hate to say it, but she has decided that you and Stefan still belong to her in some way. John tried to kill you. So she chopped his fingers off in a warning. I was alone in this house with her because Jeremy had decided to turn himself in his room and John was unconscious from blood loss. If she was as pissed as she pretends to be that you and Stefan have switched your attentions from her to me, she would have killed me right then and there, before the police and ambulance showed up. But she didn't. I think she's the one who alerted me to Jeremy's decision. It certainly wasn't _him_ that I heard make a noise."

"What are you saying?" I demand.

"I'm saying that she's _not_ going to kill me. She may threaten to, but if she wanted me dead, I'd _be_ dead. This is a game to her and I'm _sick_ of being a pawn," she growls, turning on her side away from me. "If she wants Stefan so badly and he's not going to be man enough to even _try_ to fight to stay with me, then he's not worth my time and she can fucking _have_ him. I've given up fighting for a relationship that _obviously_ isn't that important to him."

"I hate being his advocate in this, but my brother _does_ care about you, Elena," I remark, taking the empty space behind her as an invitation to kick off my boots and lay down next to her.

"He doesn't trust me," she whispers brokenly.

I jerk into a sitting position next to her and stare at her in surprise. "What makes you so sure of _that?"_ I demand.

She turns and looks up into my eyes. "If he trusted me, he wouldn't be so damned jealous every damn time I speak to another guy. And it's not just you that he gets jealous about, though you're the most frequent cause of his jealousy. And it's all because I look like Katherine. I just know it. _Every_ time he sees me talking to another guy, he thinks back on what happened between you, him, and Katherine. He's so damned determined that there isn't a repeat of that scenario that he's actually sabotaging our relationship with his jealousy. I'm sick and tired of fighting to be in a relationship that is being sabotaged by his jealousy when he isn't even willing to fight to stay be my side. Every time I hang up the phone in his company, I'm suddenly facing the third degree about the call. It's even worse when he sees me talking to a guy. I can't handle such treatment and I won't continue to try. Especially not when he's so damn willing to walk away if he even _thinks_ I might be in danger by being his girlfriend. My mom's favorite saying was 'Trust for Trust'. To be able to give your trust to someone, you have to be able to get it in return. She said that is the _only_ way any form of relationship can work out positively. It didn't matter if it was siblings or parents and their children, friends, or even your significant other. All of those relationships can _only_ be positives if trust was given and received by both parties. That's what Mom and Dad taught me and Jer and how we were raised. We all trusted each other. When Jeremy read my diary to confirm what Anna told him about my knowledge of the supernatural, he repeated those words to me. Trust for Trust. He reminded me that those words worked both ways. I wasn't able to bring myself to trust him with this knowledge and he couldn't trust me to tell him the truth. Admittedly, I thought I was protecting him, but look where _that_ got us. When they say relationships are all about trust, they're right. Stefan doesn't know _how_ to trust someone. And I can't trust him to stay by my side through whatever is thrown at us. Katherine's games proved that much."

We stare into each other's eyes silently for a several long minutes while I think about what she said. Then I sigh. "Trust for Trust, eh?" I ask, running a hand through my hair.

"Trust for Trust," she replies. "I placed my full trust in you when I took off my necklace and told you that you could compel me to tell you the truth in order to earn your trust back. You've never done _anything_ to break my trust. You've never lied to me. You've always been there for me when I needed you the most and I usually didn't even have to call. You'd just show up, somehow knowing that I needed a friend. And the thing with the Miss Mystic Falls pageant should have made it painfully obvious who I could trust and who I couldn't. I was never a fan of denial and I've been wallowing in it too damn much lately. It's time to stopping denying the facts and face them head on." She pushes herself into a sitting position, bringing her face just inches from mine. "I want you to find me a new piece of jewelry to lace with vervaine. If I'm going to end things with Stefan, I am going to have to return the necklace. If I don't, he'll think I might go back to him. And I won't."

I smirk. "I've been wondering when you'd give up that piece of junk. I happen to have something that will work quite nicely," I say, reaching into my jacket pocket where I've kept Mother's jewelry all these years. I pull out the white velvet jewelry box and pass it to her.

She chuckles. "Been carrying that around a while?" she asks, taking the jewelry box.

I place my hand on hers to stop her from opening the jewelry box. "Before you open that, I want you to know that this set once belonged to mine and Stefan's mother. She gave it to me just hours before she died giving birth to Stefan. She told me that I would know it when I find the girl I would give these to. I never once thought of giving them to Katherine, but I can't help thinking that _you'd_ look great wearing them. And don't you _dare_ refuse them, Elena," I warn her when she opens her mouth to do just that. "I've been thinking about giving them to you for a few months now; I've just been waiting for the perfect opportunity. They're my gift to you, and I will not take them back."

She gives me an exasperated smile. "Since you insist, I guess I have no choice but to accept," she chuckles as I move my hand away so that she can open the jewelry box. She does so and her jaw drops at the sight of Mother's jewelry: a white-gold three-dimensional heart-shaped locket with sterling silver inlay hanging from a platinum chain with matching earrings. "These must be worth a fortune! I… I can't take these!" she protests, looking up into my amused gaze.

"And yet more proof that you and Katherine have _nothing_ in common except looks," I remark dryly. "Elena, I'm not taking them back. They belong to you now. They're already loaded with dried vervaine, which hurt like _hell_ to get in there, might I add. They're also enchanted."

"Enchanted?" she asks dubiously.

"A witch I met about a decade after I turned told me that they had already been enchanted against all forms of damage. Then she insisted on adding a few additional enchantments. Once you put those on, only you and I will be able to touch them, so you will never have to fear having them snatched from you so that a vampire could compel you." I reach into my shirt to pull out the matching pendant. "The witch also made this for me to wear. Using this pendant, that necklace, and a map, you and I will _always_ be able to find each other, so don't you _dare_ take off that jewelry once you put it on. I should warn you, though, that the witch said you and I will be able to have a sense of what the other is feeling once you put Mother's jewelry on. _That_ wasn't my idea, it was the witch's."

Her eyebrows nearly meet her hairline at that one. "You'd actually share your emotions with me?" she asks, surprised.

I shrug. "A first for me, I assure you. Not something I'd do with just anyone," I admit. "But it would be a lot easier on me to know that you're alright when I'm not around to protect you."

She unfastens the necklace my brother gave her and lays it on the bed. Then she carefully lifts Mother's necklace from it's case and holds it out to me. "Help me with this?" she asks softly.

I smirk. "With pleasure," I reply as she turns around and lifts her hair out of the way. I gently put the necklace around her neck and fasten it there. I take the opportunity to stroke her skin a lot more than necessary, but she doesn't reprimand me. "There you go," I say, turning her towards me. "You look amazing in the necklace. Now just add the earrings and let me see."

She chuckles. "You're acting like a kid on his birthday," she remarks, carefully removing the earrings she was wearing and replacing them with the earrings I gave her.

"I feel like it _is_ my birthday," I admit. "I gave you a gift and you're not fighting too much about it." I study her critically as she finishes fastening the second earring in place. "You look splendid," I tell her.

As soon as she pulls her hand away from the earring, I'm suddenly hit by an echo of her emotions. By the stunned look on her face, she's gotten hit by an echo of mine. I sense her awe at how vulnerable I had just made myself by giving her that jewelry. I simply raise an eyebrow and smirk at her as she starts sorting through my emotions. As she gets confused about my emotions, I focus on that emotion so that she can get a better grasp of it. We start off with the primary emotions I have when I'm around her: contentment and a sense of safety. I sense her surprise at the fact that I feel _safe_ around her. She moves on to the next emotion, which happens to be my all-consuming love for her. I grin as she nearly falls backwards from the force of it. I told her once that vampire emotions are a _lot_ more powerful than human emotions, which I am reminded of again now that I'm sharing emotions with her. I can tell that she feels like she got hit with a ton of bricks by the intensity of my emotions. But she continues sorting through my emotions as she ignores her own. Then I let her feel my intense worry for her safety. That's when she realizes with surprise that I'm helping her understand my emotions. She meets my eyes in shock. I nod slightly, confirming her suspicion. "Can you read my mind now?" she demands.

I chuckle at that, highly amused by her ridiculous idea. "No. You're wearing vervaine, remember? I'm getting an echo of your emotions just the same as you're getting an echo of mine," I tell her. "When I sense your confusion over one of my emotions, I focus on it to let you get a better grasp of what it is."

"I think I've delved into your emotions enough for one night," she says dryly.

I chuckle. "I've forgotten just how much difference the intensity is between human emotions and vampire emotions," I admit. I raise an eyebrow at her, overcome with curiosity. "Care to share the experience?" I ask softly.

She immediately understands what I'm asking: if she'd let me delve into her emotions like I let her delve into mine. A brief jolt of uncertainty echoes to me through our jewelry before she squashes it. Knowing her, she's probably reminding herself that I've been more open with her in the past few minutes than I have been with anyone else in my life. "Sure," she says, closing her eyes and sorting through her emotions for me. First she focuses on just how much comfort and security she gets from my presence. To say I'm surprised is an understatement. I mean, I know she trusts me and that her body instinctively relaxes when I'm around, but I didn't realize just how strong her trust in me is. She then focuses on her gratitude that I'm willing to be this open with her from here on. She grits her teeth and I can tell she's nervous about what she's going to show me next. As soon as she starts, I realize that she's showing me _exactly_ what she feels _for_ me. First is an intense longing. Then a need to be wanted and needed the way I want and need her. More gratitude, this time I believe it's for letting her make her own decisions. More surprising than that is the tender seedlings of love for me that, with time and encouragement, could become as great as my love for her, for all that she's human. A powerful fear for my life. Joy brought about by our easy friendship. More comfort, this time in the fact that she is free to be herself around me without worrying about me becoming disappointed. Relief that when she lets loose and becomes a wild child, I'm right there with her, having just as much fun. Amusement and the thought of alcohol comes next. Apparently she's amused that we share the same taste in alcohol. Overwhelming relief at no longer being tied down. Then she apparently thinks back on the dance we shared at Miss Mystic Falls. Raging desire and want flood through me. Then she uses her emotions to promise me a _chance_ to turn those seedlings of love into a blossoming garden of love and passion.

"Thank you," I whisper, letting my immense gratitude for that chance echo to her through our jewelry.

"Let me make this breakup with Stefan official first," she says softly. She sighs but squares her shoulders and picks up the necklace my brother had given her. "Might as well do it now and get it over with." She pushes herself off her bed and grabs her jacket and purse from her chair.

"You sure about this?" I ask softly, vamping into my boots and to her window.

"I'm sure that I'm fed up with being put through an emotional rollercoaster every damn time it looks like I might be in the least bit of danger," she replies, turning towards me. "I'm sure that I'm fed up with being lied to constantly. Lies do not keep me safe. They just put me and everyone I care for in more danger. I can't _trust_ him, Damon. I can't _trust_ him to tell me the truth. I can't _trust_ him to be there when I need him. I need to be able to _trust_ the man I'm with. And I just can't do that with Stefan. It's been a downhill slide since the night you decided to take me to Georgia. And I'm finally going to put a stop to it by getting out from under his thumb. He doesn't let me make choices; he shoves his decisions down my throat and forces me to abide by them. I never wanted to lie to you about being able to trust him about the grimiore, but he wouldn't back down until I promised to lie. I've only broken one promise in my life and that resulted in my parents drowning. I refuse to break another promise." She rakes a hand through her hair in frustration. "That isn't love and I'm going to stop pretending that it is. He doesn't trust that I won't betray him and I _can't_ trust him for anything. Jer was right when he said 'Trust for Trust' works both ways. And Mom was right when she said that trust is what makes any relationship a positive one."

She slides into her jacket while I watch her. She then grabs a piece of paper and a pen to right a quick note to Jenna. When she's done, she hesitates. I raise an eyebrow at her. "Why are you hesitating?" I ask softly.

She makes a snap decision. "I told Jenna a watered-down version of what's been going on between the three of us. She suggested that once I break up with Stefan, I should go on another road trip with you to just get away from everything that's been going on," she tells me. "She wasn't very _happy_ about the way things have turned out, but she promised not to shove her opinions down my throat."

"What about high school?" I ask, smirking.

She rolls her eyes at me. "If things turn out the way they are heading, I'll have eternity to finish high school," she tells me with a wry smile.

Cue an immense amount of surprise. "You'd do that for me?" I ask softly, stunned.

"If things work out between us, I'd definitely ask you to change me. I wouldn't want to grow old and die on you," she tells me warmly. Then she sighs. "But first, I need to permanently end things with Stefan. Then I want you to take me on the road to get away from everything that's been going on."

"Pack your bags, kitten," I say with a grin. "It just so happens that I actually brought my car with me this time."

She sighs again. "First, I need to write a letter," she says softly. I let my confusion echo at her with significant force. "I can't face him right now. Not after the fight we had. So I'll write a letter, telling him everything he did that has sabotaged our relationship. I'll have Jenna give it to him for me."

I nod in understanding. I _was_ there to witness the explosive rage Elena turned on my brother as soon as Katherine left. Stefan wasn't anywhere _near_ as angry, but he was still pretty pissed. Things on both sides had kept escalating until I had to vamp her out of there before it came to physical blows. She sighs, takes a seat at her desk, and pulls out some paper and a pen. She doesn't bother to think as she writes. I move behind her to read what she's writing. I find my eyebrows racing for my hairline as I read the downright cruelty she writes down. Then she sighs as she pulls her pen away from the paper. She fetches an envelope from one of the drawers in her desk, folds the letter, and tucks it and the necklace into the envelope. I hadn't even noticed her carrying the necklace over to her desk. She then seals the envelope after writing Stefan's name on the front. Then she pulls out one last sheet of paper and starts on her letter to Jenna.

_Hey, Jenna,_

_I decided to take your advice and hit the road with Damon. I don't know when we'll be back, but don't worry. I've got my phone and I'll call you as often as I can. I'll be taking my camera and I'll take a ton of pictures and mail them to you with letters describing the places we visit. In the envelope is a letter to Stefan and the necklace he gave me. I'd like you to give the envelope to him next time you see him and make sure to tell him he's no longer welcome in our house. I'll miss you so much but I think this road trip will do me some good. It'll get me away from all the stress and worry that's been pulling me down since Mom and Dad died. When I'm ready to face life again, Damon will bring me home. Until then, wish us luck with our travels. With the way my luck's been running, we'll need all the good luck we can get._

_Love ya,_

_Elena_

_P.S. You need to relax and let loose as well, Jenna. I'm sure Rick will be a big help with that. In case you haven't noticed, you're no longer the legal guardian of two teenagers. Jeremy's moved to the boarding house and I'm about to hit the road with Damon. It's time for you to get your own life instead of always worrying about us. We'll be fine. We're a lot more mature than most people our age and all I see ahead of us is even more growing up as we live our lives and become independent adults. You'll always be our aunt and our friend. But I realize now just how much you've put on hold to take care of us. Try getting Rick to move in. It'll be less lonely for the both of you if you do. Don't worry about telling Jeremy that I've left, I'll call him sometime tomorrow with the news._

"Or we could take him with us," I suggest.

She chuckles. "Are you sure about that?" she asks. "Looking after a newborn when you could be spending quality time with me?"

"Hey, I didn't say he had to be in the same room with us. I plan on going first class on this trip, and the suites I normally stay in have multiple bedrooms," I retort.

I can practically _hear_ her eyes roll in her head. "I'll tell her then," she says, putting her pen back to paper.

_P.P.S. Actually, Damon decided that we'll take Jer with us. At least he won't be around Stefan during his ultimate brood-fest. So don't worry about me and Jer. Damon will be taking care of us. He'll make sure we all come back in one piece. Love you, Jenna. And don't forget to live your life while we're living ours. Rick will be a big help with that, I'm sure._

"Okay, time to get packed," she say, pushing away from her desk.

I back up so she has room to get up. "I'll call Jeremy and let him know," I volunteer.

"Won't Stefan find out?" Elena asks, worried.

"Relax, Stefan ran into the forest as soon as I got you outta there. He hasn't hunted much this week, so he'll be there for a while yet," I say soothingly, pulling out my phone. I find Jeremy's name on my list of contacts and hit send, noting the smile Elena sends my way before she begins packing.

It takes the whole first verse of _"Bad Boys"_ by Inner Circle for Jeremy to pick up. _"Hey, Damon,"_ the newborn greets. _"What's up?"_

"First, what the _hell_ is with _that_ ringtone?" I demand.

"_It's from Cops!"_ Jeremy protests. _"And it _so_ reminds me of you."_

I shake my head with a sigh. "Anyways, feeling up to going on a road trip with me and your sister?" I ask.

"_And get outta this place and away from Mr. Broodsville? Hell yeah!"_ Jeremy replies cheerily. _"How long are we going to be gone?"_

"Undetermined. We'll be back when we're all ready to face life in Mystic Falls again," I tell him. "Just, in the note you'll leave my brother, _don't_ even _hint_ that Elena's coming with us. Just tell him that I'm getting you out of town for a while to see if you're capable of living among humans now before setting you loose on Mystic Falls."

"_Who's going to tell him about Elena?"_ Jeremy asks.

"She's leaving a letter for him with Jenna. She was downright _cruel_ at several points. So, pack about a week's worth of clothes, whatever miscellaneous stuff you think you might need, and pack a bag with toiletries. While your at it, go to my room. In the bottom drawer of the dresser is a small toiletry bag. Grab it and get my comb, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and cologne from the bathroom and put the stuff in the bag. When you've got everything gathered together, wait in the woods down by the road with it. We'll come pick you up," I tell him.

"_Got it. You know, it's _so_ much easier to keep track of a mental list now than it was when I was human,"_ he says.

"Kid, you'll be learning a _lot_ of things that will make you compare how much easier it is to be a vampire than a human. But don't let that fool you: your sister and I are both still upset with _how_ and _where_ you decided to turn yourself," I tell him, stuffing Elena's teddy in her suitcase next to her other things. She rolls her eyes at that but doesn't remove it and she actually smiles. "You better close the door to my room again when you're out of there," I tell the kid.

I can almost _hear_ his eyes rolling. _"Seriously, dude, you're as bad as my sister when it comes to leaving your bedroom door shut when you're not in there,"_ he says. Elena zips her suitcase and heads into the bathroom to gather her toiletries. I take that time to unzip her suitcase and snoop to see what she had decided to bring. I smirk when I spot a bikini that is the exact shade of blue my eyes are. Stefan must have _hated_ it when he saw it. I hear Elena's footsteps coming back in the room and I use my vampire speed to put everything back where it was and zip the suitcase shut again. I'm back where she had left me when she comes back.

"Whatever. We're about to leave. You better be ready to get in the Camaro as soon as I pull up to the foot of the drive or we're leaving you behind," I say, hanging up before he gets a chance to reply. "He's all for getting out of this town," I tell Elena.

"That's good," she says with a smile.

"You aren't even torn up about all this," I comment, awed by her calm acceptance of her breakup.

She sighs. "It's been a long time coming, Damon," she whispers. "Ever since I found her picture, I just _knew_ that I'd have to just let him go one day and move on. Love without trust isn't love at all. It's time I accept the inevitable: Stefan was never really mine. He wouldn't have held onto her picture all these decades if he didn't still feel something for her."

The thought that Stefan had elected to take a picture as a keepsake fills me with wry amusement. "Even _I_ didn't take a picture of her to hold onto," I admit. "I was the first to go through her things, before we were turned and after." I sense her surprise. "Hey, boys get just as curious as girls," I chuckle.

"I should let you in on a secret I haven't told _anyone_ except Bonnie," she says softly, turning to me.

My eyebrows shoot for my hairline in surprise because she's confided a _lot_ of her secrets in me. I put a hand on her shoulder as I sense her inner turmoil. "You don't have to tell me," I say. "Not if it's putting you through so much pain getting up the courage to share it."

"Damon, I've wanted to become a vampire since a week after I found out your secret," she blurts out. I reel back in shock, stunned into speechlessness. "Bonnie was in on the secret by then and I took a lapis lazuli ring I picked out to her to get her or Sheila to enchant it for me to be my daylight ring, explaining to both of them what my choice was. Sheila's the one who took it. As soon as she touched it, she had a vision. She said I wouldn't need it for a while, but I _would_ need it one day. The next day, I brought up the subject to Stefan by asking him about the turning process. That was the first time he broke my heart. He got furious that I was asking. He _told_ me it wasn't something I wanted, that he would _never_ turn me. Sheila had told me that the choice would still be mine, but that the one who turned me wasn't who I thought it would be. After you brought me home this afternoon and left again, Bonnie showed up in a raging fury. She told me that she had just had two visions. One of what happened with Stefan. That's what she was raging about. And the other was what her grams must have seen. She _gave_ me the ring and told me it was already enchanted. She warned me to come back before my lack of aging became apparent. Until now, I didn't understand what she or Sheila had been talking about."

"What do you mean?" I whisper, reluctant to even dare to _hope_ that she's saying what it sounds like she's saying.

"I _mean_ that Sheila saw _you_ turning me all those months ago, when you were still enthralled by Katherine. Bonnie saw you turning me on this road trip we are about to go on," she replies softly.

I back up so that I can sit down hard on her bed. Shock and wonder rage within me as I contemplate all this. "The ring?" I ask finally, my voice soft.

Elena reaches into her jeans pocket and pulls out a silver ring with a lapis lazuli the same shade of blue as my eyes. "I want you to put this on my finger, as a promise," she says softly, walking over to gently place it in my hand and curl my fingers around it.

"A promise?" I whisper.

"A promise that, when the time is right, you won't hesitate in turning me," she tells me with a small smile.

"When will the time be 'right'?" I ask.

"We'll _know_ when it comes," she assures me. "For now, I need another time-out." I grin wryly at that and she smiles. "And let's make this one last more than 'five minutes'."

"As you wish," I say. I use my speed to tuck the ring in my pocket before grabbing her suitcase and standing up.

Elena picks up the envelope to Stefan and the note to Jenna and leads me out of her room. She carries them to Jenna's room to leave on her aunt's nightstand. Elena takes a moment to breathe in Jenna's favorite perfume. Finally, she sighs and leaves the room, shutting the door behind her.

"You know, you only packed a week's worth of clothes," I point out, following her down the stairs. True, I told Jeremy to pack just a week's worth of clothes. But he's a guy. He can get by with it. Elena's a girl and I sometimes get the feeling girls think they have to take half their closet with them when they travel. Of course, Elena's completely different from any other person I've ever met.

"We can always stop at a Laundromat or a dry-cleaners every so often," she reminds me, her hand on the front doorknob. "Hell, you lived out of the trunk of your car for years at a time. You're too damned fastidious to put up with wearing dirty clothes more than you absolutely _have_ to. You had to have stopped once in a while to get them clean. I'm sure the three of us can manage the same for however long this time-out lasts."

I realize something and I have to point it out to her. "You know, it's a little weird hearing you say 'the three of us' and _not_ having Stefan be one of that number," I drawl. She lets out a wry chuckle. "Are you going to open the door anytime soon? You and I both know you don't have what it takes to get through saying goodbye before being gone for an indeterminate amount of time. Not after a day like today."

She sighs and turns the knob before pulling open the door. I immediately go straight to my car to put her suitcase in the trunk while she locks up. Once that's done, I slam the trunk and go around to climb in the driver's seat. Elena makes her way to the Camaro but stops when she opens the passenger door, staring up at her house as if she's trying to burn the image of it into her brain. Finally she sighs and climbs in. She shuts the door and fastens her seatbelt.

"We'll come back, Elena. I promise that we _will_ come back," I say softly as I start the engine.

"You've never broken a promise you made me," she realizes softly as she adjusts her seat.

"I don't break promises, period," I admit, pulling out of her drive. I shift gears and start driving through town towards the boarding house. "Your brother is going to meet us at the foot of the drive, with his suitcase and a bag with his toiletries as well as a bag with mine. I already keep several changes of clothes in the trunk just in case."

"In case of what?" she asks, smiling as she leans forward to play with the radio.

"You know, just in case," I reply casually. She throws me a disbelieving look before returning to trying to find something for us to listen to. She also sends a flood of disbelief echoing at me through our jewelry. "Fine," I sigh dramatically. "I've always kept several changes in the trunk ever since I got this car. I've rarely stayed in one place for more than a few months at a time. The longest I went was spending most of the seventies in New York City. And I only did that because even then, that city was still one of the biggest cities in the entire country."

She apparently gets an idea as I talk. "Let's go to New York on this road trip," she says impishly, settling on a station playing country music from the nineties. I got Sirius radio for this car as soon as it came out because I was tired of having to always having find a new radio station when I left the area covered by the one I was listening to.

I laugh as I pull to a stop at the foot of the driveway leading up to the boarding house. Jeremy walks out of the woods carrying a suitcase and two toiletry bags. "Pop the trunk for him," I tell Elena as I climb out so that the kid can climb in the backseat. The kid tosses the luggage he's carrying into the trunk and slams it shut. "In the back, kid," I tell him, leaning the driver's seat forward. Jeremy obediently crawls in the back. I set my seat upright again and climb back in it, slamming my door shut.

"So, where we going?" Jeremy asks, leaning forward. Elena smacks his hand away from the radio. "Seriously, Lena? Nineties country?" he demands.

"I don't have a problem with it," I say, flashing him a smirk in the rearview. "That was the best era of country music." I shift gears and turn around in the drive to head for the highway. "You're sister wants to go to New York."

"I'm cool with that," the kid says.

Elena turns in her seat to glare at both of us. . "No feeding on the humans. Steal from blood banks all you want. Hell, I'll help. Just don't feed from live humans."

I smirk. "What about _you?"_ I ask, doing the 'eye thing' I know she secretly loves.

I smirk as I get an echo of the butterflies she gets in her stomach at the sight of me doing the 'eye thing'. "That depends on how you're behaving," she tells me, turning to face forward again.

I chuckle throatily, pull the car into a U-turn, and make for the highway. I sense the kid's confusion over the exchange. "What's going on between the two of you?" he demands. "I mean, I understand that Elena and Stefan are quits for good, but _you two?"_

"What about it?" I ask, winking at Elena.

"Well, considering _I'm_ going to be on the road _with_ you two, I _really_ don't need to listen in while you two go at it!" he exclaims. "She's my _sister!"_

Elena rolls her eyes and opens her mouth to explain but I beat her to it. "We're going first class all the way for this trip," I say wryly. "We'll be staying at four- and five-star hotels and have the best suites available, which means you'll get your own room while we have ours. Trust me, kid, you'll be too busy enjoying the good life to even _notice_ what we're up to."

The kid just huffs. Cue Elena's turn in the tag-team to get him to shut up. "Would you rather we turn around and take you back to the boarding house so you can endure Stefan's ultimate brood-fest when he finds out I've left town with Damon?" she asks sweetly, turning towards her brother. I bite my lip to keep from bursting out laughing at the notion.

I glance in the rearview mirror and if I didn't know just how impossible it is, I'd say the kid had just turned even paler from the thought. "God no!" he yelps. "It's bad enough already! I _don't_ want to be within five miles of _that!"_

"Then be quiet and enjoy the music," Elena says, turning back to face the front. She reaches her left hand over and I allow her to pry my right hand from the wheel so she can lace our fingers together. I sense an echo of her emotions, which are a match for mine: this is what 'home' feels like, no matter where we are. The three of us can make this work, I just know it.


End file.
